Christmas Lights in Tacoma 2026: Zoolights, Fantasy Lights and Where Else to Go

Top photo courtesy Katie G. Cotterill, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

Last verified: October 28, 2026. Every date below was checked against the organizer or a current listing, and anything not yet posted for 2026 says so. We recheck through December.

Tacoma’s holiday lights season has one big name, Zoolights, and a lot of good smaller ones that most guides skip. It also had a rough 2025: Fantasy Lights at Spanaway shut down partway through the season after weeks of wind and rain, and an electrical failure.

This is the 2026 version: what’s on, what it costs, what changed, and where to get something hot afterward. Dates marked 2026 come straight from the organizer. Where an organizer hasn’t posted yet, we give last year’s schedule and say so.

The short version

• The big one: Zoolights at Point Defiance, Nov 27, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027, $16 to $22. Cheapest on Monday to Thursday nights through Dec 13.
• The drive through: Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park, Nov 27 to Jan 3, back after last year’s shutdown. Priced per car.
• Free: the Tacoma Light Trail downtown (Dec 31 to Jan 17) and the Gig Harbor Lighted Boat Parade from shore. The Tacoma boat parade (Dec 19) and the Puyallup Lighted Santa Parade (Dec 5) are public parades too.
• Smaller and quieter: Winter Glow at Lakewold Gardens, six nights in December.
• Heads up: the Argosy Christmas Ship has no Tacoma or Gig Harbor stops in 2026.

Zoolights at Point Defiance

Zoolights has run for 39 years at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, and the zoo now counts over 1.5 million lights.

“My favorite part of Zoolights is seeing families make lasting memories together, including bringing their pups along on select nights!” says Tessa Miller, communications and media relations supervisor at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. “There’s something so special about coming back year after year, seeing the beautiful lights, and creating new traditions with the people (and pets!) you love.”

• Dates: Nov 27, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Closed Dec 24 and 25.
• Prices (general / member), ages 3 and up:
  • Nov 27 to Dec 13, Monday to Thursday: $16 / $8
  • Nov 27 to Dec 13, Friday to Sunday: $22 / $11
  • Dec 14 to Jan 3, every night: $22 / $11
  • Flex ticket, any night: $30
  • Ages 2 and under: free
• Tickets are timed and online only. They’ve been on sale since Oct 19. No refunds, rain or shine.
• Sensory friendly night: softer lights and quieter music, with its own timed tickets, $16 general and $8 members. The date isn’t out yet.
• Parking is free. The aquariums are closed during Zoolights, but three of Thomas Dambo’s giant trolls are on the route and included.
• Dog Nights are back after starting last year: Dec 1, 2, 8 and 9 ($36 general, $28 members, one dog and one adult), plus Dec 15 and Jan 3 at a higher price.

Prices went up a couple of dollars from 2025, when general admission was $14 to $20.

Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park (drive through)

Fantasy Lights is Pierce County’s drive through: a two mile route through Spanaway Park with more than 300 displays. Tune to AM 1700 for the music.

• Dates: Nov 27, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027, every night including holidays, 5:30 to 9 p.m.
• Tickets go on sale Nov 1. Prices are per vehicle (a car, or a mini bus up to 24 people): $20 Monday to Thursday from Nov 27 to Dec 17, $30 Friday to Sunday and every night Dec 18 to 27, and $20 every night Dec 28 to Jan 3. Online tickets add a convenience fee, and military get 25% off with ID.
• It’s drive through only in 2026. Pets stay in the car.
• Buy ahead. Gate tickets are limited and card only: “No cash will be accepted at the event.” You can also buy in person at Sprinker Recreation Center.
• Go Monday to Wednesday, the county’s own recommendation.

What happened last year: in 2025 Fantasy Lights was canceled for the rest of the season partway through. ParentMap blamed weeks of wet and windy weather, and the county cited an electrical failure. If the weather turns bad this year, check the county page before you drive out.

More in and around Tacoma

• Ice Lights at Sprinker Recreation Center: the county’s ice rink with over 35,000 lights, Friday, Nov 27, 2026 to Saturday, Jan 2, 2027. Skate session times change day to day, so check the county’s session calendar before you go. Adults $10, youth $9, seniors $8, ages 5 and under $5.50, plus $5 skate rental.
• Winter Glow at Lakewold Gardens, Lakewood: six nights, Dec 11 to 13 and 18 to 20, 2026, 5 to 9 p.m. Lit garden paths, cocoa or cider inside the historic Wagner House, and Santa every night. Last year it was $20 for adults and $10 for youth; 2026 prices aren’t posted.
• Holiday Magic at the Washington State Fair Events Center, Puyallup: Dec 4 to 6, 11 to 13 and 18 to 23, 2026, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., with millions of lights, rides and a Glice (synthetic ice) rink. Early bird tickets ended Oct 13, and regular tickets went on sale Oct 14. Last year adults paid $20 to $25.
• The Tacoma Light Trail: free light art across downtown, Dec 31, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027, 5 to 9 p.m. nightly, kicking off New Year’s Eve at Tollefson Plaza. A good one for after the holidays, when everything else has gone dark.

Downtown Tacoma and the boat parades

• Tacoma Holiday Tree Lighting: Saturday, Nov 28, 2026, from 5 p.m., with a new low sensory Santa experience. Tacoma City Theaters lights the tree at 9th and Broadway, with a free open house in the Pantages lobby.
• Tacoma Yacht Club Lighted Boat Parade: Saturday, Dec 19, 2026, 5:30 p.m. Boats start off the Point Defiance docks, run along the waterfront and down the Foss Waterway to Dock Street Marina. Make a night of it at Museum of Glass: its Fireside holiday night runs 5 to 9 p.m. the same evening, with fire pits on the plaza to watch the boats, plus workshops, crafts and gallery tours inside. It’s regular museum admission, and members get in free.

Gig Harbor and Puyallup

• Gig Harbor Lighted Boat Parade: Saturday, Dec 12, 2026, 5 p.m.. Boats leave Arabella’s Landing marina and circle the harbor twice, a tradition going back to at least the 1970s. Free to watch from the waterfront parks and restaurants: Skansie Park, Jerisich Dock, Ancich Waterfront Park or Maritime Pier. Any boat can join free, no membership needed; register at gigharboryc.com.
• Gig Harbor Tree Lighting at Skansie Brothers Park: Saturday, Dec 5, 2026; times and the lineup are still to come. Last year it had carolers at 4, Santa by fire truck at 5, and free cocoa and cookies.
• Puyallup Lighted Santa Parade: Saturday, Dec 5, 2026, 5 p.m., downtown on Meridian. The last float passes by about 6. The Gig Harbor tree lighting is the same night, so pick one.

Neighborhood lights

Tacoma has a few homes and streets that go all out every year. They’re private homes, so drive slowly, keep your lights low and don’t block driveways.

• The Ruston area near Point Defiance: N Winnifred St and N Yakima Ave at N I St made last year’s local roundups. Easy to add on after Zoolights.
• The Cooper Family Christmas Light Show on 40th Ave E: more than 40,000 lights synced to music, 5 to 10 p.m. last year. You pick songs by QR code on the fence.

The Christmas Ship skips Tacoma this year

Argosy’s 2026 Christmas Ship Festival runs Nov 27 to Dec 23, and none of its stops are in Tacoma or Gig Harbor. The closest are Wednesday, Dec 16: Des Moines Marina Pier at 5:10 p.m. and Redondo Beach at 8:35 p.m. For boats in lights closer to home, the Tacoma and Gig Harbor parades are the ones to see.

Where to get something hot afterward

Most Tacoma cafes close by late afternoon, before the lights come on. These stay open later. Call ahead, because December hours change.

• Downtown: Lune Cafe, 1916 Pacific Ave, open until 9 or 10 p.m. most nights, with crepes and chocolate strawberries. Or Eather Tea and Cafe, 1127 Broadway, open until 8 p.m. most days.
• After Zoolights: La Boba Milk Tea and Coffee, 2614 N Proctor St, open until 8 p.m. (9 on weekends), or Curran Coffee in Old Town, 2123 N 30th St, if you go early.
• After Spanaway: Locus Cafe, 4822 Pacific Ave in the South End, open until 10 p.m., right on the way back north.
• More of Tacoma’s coffee: our guide to 43 Tacoma coffee shops.

Which cafe does your family go to after the lights? Tell us, and it could end up on the Explore Washington State Card.

Seeing lights beyond Tacoma this season? Our 2026 Washington Holiday Lights Map puts the best displays in every corner of the state on one page, region by region. For the rest of your trip, start with our Tacoma guide.

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